“Nah then, tha’s welcome to Yorkshire, love. Sit thissen dahn and I’ll mek thee a brew. Don’t be faffin’ about – just tell us what tha wants.”
If you understood that perfectly, you’re either from Yorkshire or you’ve spent considerable time in God’s Own Country. For everyone else, welcome to the wonderful world of Yorkshire dialect – a linguistic tradition so distinct that some scholars argue it constitutes a separate language entirely.
Yorkshire isn’t just the largest county in England; it’s a place with fierce regional pride and a vocabulary that sets it apart from the rest of Britain. Here’s your guide to speaking – or at least understanding – Yorkshire.
Why Yorkshire Dialect Is Different
Yorkshire’s linguistic distinctiveness traces back over a thousand years. The region was part of the Danelaw, the area of England under Viking control from the 9th century. Old Norse blended with Anglo-Saxon English to create a dialect that retained Scandinavian features long after they disappeared elsewhere.
Words like “beck” (stream), “fell” (hill), and “laik” (to play) come directly from Old Norse. The dialect also preserved grammatical features – like using “thee” and “thou” – that died out in standard English centuries ago.
Add to this Yorkshire’s relative geographic isolation (bounded by the Pennines, the North Sea, and the Humber), strong industrial identity, and fierce local pride, and you have the perfect conditions for a dialect to thrive.
The Yorkshire Pronouns
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Yorkshire dialect is the survival of the old pronouns:
Thee = You (object)
Tha/Thou = You (subject)
Thy = Your
Thissen/Thysen = Yourself
These aren’t affectation or nostalgia – they’re genuine grammatical forms still used in everyday Yorkshire speech.
Example: “Look after thissen” = “Look after yourself”
Example: “Is that thy coat?” = “Is that your coat?”
Example: “I’ll see thee later” = “I’ll see you later”
The forms follow grammatical rules. You wouldn’t say “thee is coming” – it’s “tha’s coming” (you are coming). Getting these right marks you as a genuine Yorkshire speaker.
Essential Yorkshire Vocabulary
Greetings and Farewells
Nah then = Hello, now then (general greeting)
Example: “Nah then, how’s tha doing?”
Ey up = Hello, hey (also an exclamation of surprise)
Example: “Ey up, I didn’t see thee there!”
Sithee = See thee, goodbye
Example: “Right, I’m off. Sithee!”
Ta-ra = Goodbye
Example: “Ta-ra, love!”
Everyday Words
Nowt = Nothing
Example: “There’s nowt on telly tonight.”
Owt = Anything
Example: “Is there owt to eat?”
Summat = Something
Example: “There’s summat wrong with this car.”
Mek = Make
Example: “I’ll mek thee a cup of tea.”
Tek = Take
Example: “Tek that coat off, it’s boiling in here.”
Gi’ = Give
Example: “Gi’ us a hand with this, will tha?”
Appen = Perhaps, maybe (from “it may happen”)
Example: “Appen it’ll rain later.”
Champion = Excellent, great
Example: “That pie was champion!”
Reight = Right, very, really
Example: “That’s reight good, that is.”
Grand = Fine, good, great
Example: “Everything’s grand.”
Proper = Really, very, genuine
Example: “That’s a proper Yorkshire pudding.”
Middlin’ = Fair, moderate, so-so
Example: “How are you?” “Middlin’, can’t complain.”
Food and Drink
Brew = Cup of tea
Example: “Stick kettle on, I’m gasping for a brew.”
Snap = Packed lunch, food brought to work
Example: “I’ve forgotten me snap!”
Dinner = Lunch (the midday meal)
Example: “What are we having for dinner?”
Tea = The evening meal
Example: “Tea’s ready! Come and sit down.”
Parkin = Traditional Yorkshire ginger cake, especially eaten around Bonfire Night
Yorkshire pudding = The famous batter pudding, traditionally served with roast beef and gravy. In Yorkshire, this is serious business.
Descriptions and States
Nesh = Sensitive to cold
Example: “Put a jumper on if tha’s that nesh.”
Mardy = Moody, sulky, grumpy
Example: “Don’t be so mardy!”
Manky = Dirty, unpleasant
Example: “This kitchen’s manky – clean it up!”
Mafted/Maftin’ = Very hot, sweltering
Example: “Open a window, I’m maftin’ in here!”
Starved = Cold (not hungry!)
Example: “I’m starved! Turn the heating on.”
Jiggered = Exhausted, broken
Example: “I’m absolutely jiggered after that walk.”
Clarty = Muddy, dirty
Example: “Tek them clarty boots off!”
Ganzie/Gansey = Jumper, sweater
Example: “Put thy ganzie on, it’s cold.”
Actions and Activities
Laik = Play
Example: “Kids are out laiking in the garden.”
Faffin’ = Wasting time, messing about
Example: “Stop faffin’ about and get ready!”
Fettle = To sort out, put in order, repair
Example: “I need to fettle this bike.”
“In fine fettle” = In good condition
Frame = To make an effort, get on with something
Example: “Frame thissen!” = Get a move on!
Gip = To retch, to feel sick
Example: “That smell’s making me gip.”
Side = To clear the table
Example: “Side them pots when you’re done.”
Thole = To tolerate, endure
Example: “I can’t thole that noise any longer.”
Places and Things
Beck = Stream
Example: “The kids love playing in the beck.”
Ginnel = Narrow alleyway between buildings
Example: “Take the ginnel, it’s quicker.”
Snicket = Another word for a narrow path or alley
Example: “There’s a snicket between them houses.”
Dale = Valley
Example: “The Yorkshire Dales” (Note: “dale” comes from Old Norse “dalr”)
Fell = Hill, upland
Example: “We’re walking up the fell tomorrow.”
Spice = Sweets, candy
Example: “Have some spice, go on.”
Expressions and Phrases
“Ee by gum” = Expression of surprise (a minced oath avoiding “God”)
Example: “Ee by gum, look at the price of that!”
“Put wood in t’hole” = Shut the door
Example: “Put wood in t’hole, tha’s letting all t’heat out!”
“Were tha born in a barn?” = Said to someone who leaves doors open
“There’s nowt so queer as folk” = People are strange/unpredictable
“Hear all, see all, say nowt” = The Yorkshire motto of discretion
“If in doubt, do nowt” = When uncertain, don’t act
“Where there’s muck, there’s brass” = Money can be made from hard, dirty work (a reflection of Yorkshire’s industrial heritage)
The Yorkshire “T”
One of the most distinctive features of Yorkshire speech is the glottal stop replacing “the” – represented in writing as “t'” before a consonant.
- “Going to the pub” becomes “Going t’t pub” or “Going t’pub”
- “In the morning” becomes “In t’morning”
- “Put the kettle on” becomes “Put t’kettle on”
This isn’t laziness – it’s a systematic feature of the dialect. Before vowels, “the” often becomes “th'” – “th’end” for “the end.”
Yorkshire vs. The Rest
Yorkshire people have a particular pride in their county and dialect. This pride has spawned numerous sayings:
The stereotypes of Yorkshire folk – straight-talking, thrifty, no-nonsense, and proud – are reflected in the dialect’s directness. Yorkshire people famously “call a spade a spade.”
Regional Variations Within Yorkshire
Yorkshire is huge, and the dialect varies considerably:
West Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford, Halifax): Perhaps the “classic” Yorkshire accent most people imagine. Tends to be broader in working-class areas.
South Yorkshire (Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster): Distinct variations, particularly in Sheffield. “Dee dar” (Sheffield for “hello” or “is anyone there?”) is unique to the area.
North Yorkshire (York, Scarborough, the Dales): Often considered softer, closer to standard English in cities like York.
East Yorkshire (Hull, the East Riding): Hull has such a distinctive accent that it’s sometimes barely recognized as Yorkshire at all. “Ull” instead of “Hull,” completely different vowel sounds.
Survival Tips for Americans
- Embrace “love,” “pet,” and “duck.” These are standard terms of address in Yorkshire, used for anyone regardless of gender or familiarity. Don’t be surprised or offended.
Keeping the Dialect Alive
Like many regional dialects, Yorkshire faces pressure from standard English through media, education, and migration. Younger people in cities often speak with less pronounced dialect features.
But Yorkshire dialect persists, maintained through family speech, cultural pride, and deliberate preservation efforts. The Yorkshire Dialect Society has been promoting and recording the dialect since 1897. Local poets and writers continue to work in dialect. And in many areas, particularly rural communities and among older speakers, the full richness of Yorkshire speech remains very much alive.
For visitors to Yorkshire, encountering the dialect is part of the experience. It connects you to over a thousand years of history, to Viking settlers and medieval farmers, to the industrial workers who built the modern county. It’s language with character, with personality, with soul.
And if tha doesn’t understand it, just ask. Yorkshire folk are happy to explain – as long as tha stops faffin’ about and listens proper.
Have you encountered Yorkshire dialect in your travels? What words or phrases caught your ear? Share in the comments!
